How About a Game of Truth or Dare?
by chisles
Summary: The warehouse crew are celebrating Claudia's 21st birthday with beer and some good old-fashioned truth or dare. -Set in a perfect world where there are no life threatening things are happening maybe season four, but HG's here? - Erm, it has basically everyone in it, so not just Myka and HG.


A/N: I just really wanted to write some family fun, but some Bering and Wells feels snuck up on me and then snuck their way into this. I don't own anyone, sadly, and I'm not using this to make a profit.

(If you ship Cleena, you can imagine them doing something sexy, I just don't take the time to describe it. I actually love the Cleena ship, even if I don't hardcore ship it. Go Cleena!)

* * *

It was late. Or rather, it was early. Either way, Artie was asleep and the rest of the warehouse agents (including Leena) were bored out of their minds. Claudia had turned twenty-one exactly three minutes ago. She acknowledged this by returning from the kitchen, beer in hand, with a smile on her face.

"I have an idea," she said. "We should play Truth or Dare."

Pete and Steve were focused on the TV, their thumbs basically attacking the controllers in their hands. H.G. was watching, seemingly interested in the violence and gore of the virtual world. It was funny, she mused, how Steve despised actual violence, yet he was winning against Pete in this fantasy world. She glanced over at Myka, who sat in her favorite reading chair. The curly-haired agent was staring back at her and when H.G.'s eyes found hers, she blushed slightly and looked back down at her book, peeking up again through her eyelashes.

This was the game they played. Should they or shouldn't they? At the moment it seemed as if Myka was avoiding her, but that wasn't exactly true. They saw each other every day. They interacted together every day. But that was it.

"And what, may I ask, is Truth or Dare," H.G. asked, curiosity piqued.

Claudia held up two six-sided dice, shaking them playfully in her hand. "I'll show you. Only if everyone agrees to play." She sat down at one end of the coffee table that was, really, in the middle of everyone.

"Claud, I don't think we shou—"

Claudia cut Myka off. "It's my birthday," she whined, feigning sadness. "I just want to actually have some fun, guys."

Myka nodded, setting her book on the side table before turning fully to the table. Pete and Steve had just finished another virtual mission. They turned off the game and sat in the make shift circle.

Starting with H.G., to her left, it went: Steve, Pete, Myka, Claudia, Leena, and then back to Helena.

"So," Claudia said. "Here are the rules. Two die. The blue one is the asker, the red one gets asked. Steve is one; Pete is two, and so on."

"Sounds good," Myka said quietly. H.G. could tell just by looking at her that the agent was exhausted. She had a small smile on her face as she gazed at Claudia, as if she were happy to see her growing up.

Claudia continued. "If you refuse to do a dare, you have to take off an article of clothing."

Steve shook his head. "Uh, what?"

"C'mon guys! We have to make this fun!"

Myka smiled, and Helena could see that her mind was made up to only pick truths. How horrible could a simple question be?

Before anyone else could argue with her, Claudia threw the dice on the table, a maniacal smile on her face.

Red: 6. Blue: 2.

Pete clapped his hands. "Okay. H.G., truth or dare?"

Glancing over at Claudia, who nodded encouragingly, Helena said, "Truth?"

Pete thought for a moment. "Oh! What was your first time with a woman like?"

That caught Helena off guard, but she hid it quickly, a sly smirk spreading across her face. "One of my brother's many girlfriends got tired of him and spent the night in my room instead," she said simply, not missing how Myka looked down, her cheeks a rosy red. My God, did that woman blush.

The game got progressively dirtier after that, as each person downed a few beers (except Pete, of course, who really didn't need beer to act inappropriate). Claudia was giggling as she leaned over to Leena to brush their lips together. The innkeeper got a little grabby on the young adult as the kiss deepened, and Pete clapped his hands together.

Red: 4. Blue: 1.

"Alright Jinksy," Claudia said. "Let's see what you got. Truth or Dare?"

"Dare," he said confidently.

"I dare you to play the State game with Pete."

His eyes got wide. "What?"

"You heard me. Pete, think of a state, and if Jinksy can't guess it, then his hand gets to go closer to your special parts," she explained, leaning back in her chair to enjoy the show.

Steve placed his hand on Pete's knee. "You got one?"

"Yeah, dude."

"Oregon."

"Nope." The hand moved two inches higher.

"California."

Pete made the sound that a buzzer makes when you get the wrong answer. The hand moved higher, yet.

"Colorado," Steve guessed, his hand inches away from… well.

Pete sighed dramatically. "Yeah, you got it." Steve snatched his hand back, shooting a glare towards Claudia who sat there with a drunken smile on her face.

Red: 5. Blue: 1.

"Dammit," Steve grumbled. "Not me again. Please."

By this time, Steve's shoes were off (because he refused to kiss Pete, much to Pete's assurances that he was not gay, just open minded), Leena was fully clothed (not due to the fact she'd done dares, more like, the die hadn't landed on her much), Claudia was down to her tank-top (she was just stripping for the fun of it, and because she was really drunk), Pete's shirt was off (he'd declined kissing Myka, because ew), and H.G. was fully clothed (accepting whatever dare came her way).

Leena looked all around; it was her turn to ask. "How about I ask a question that everyone had to answer?"

They all nodded.

"Who was your first kiss, and what was it like?"

"Technically," Myka squeaked, "That's two."

"Whatever!" Claudia grinned. "Mine was in the crazy factory. Scott Jones. He asked me out once and I said yes and at the end we kissed. He killed himself about a week later. I really do have an impact on some people," she said wistfully. Steve couldn't help but crack up, before sobering and pursing his lips.

"That sucks," he said. "Mine was Cynthia Grace, sixth grade. On the school playground. I had broken my leg the week before so I was stuck on the sidelines" –he chuckled- "watching the other boys play basketball. She came up to me and said she was sorry about my leg. She sat down, was silent for a moment before leaning over and then she kissed me."

"How did it feel," Pete asked. There was a stupid smirk on his face.

"I felt absolutely nothing."

"Mine was Amanda Taylor!" Pete sat up straighter. "Seventh grade, baby. All the girls wanted the Pete-ster, but there was only one in his headlights."

"Are you seriously talking in the third person right now?"

Pete glanced over at Myka, who had a half-filled beer in her hand. He let out a throaty laugh, and continued. "Alas, their love was not meant to be. Amanda had to move, but just before she did, I got me some lip locking."

"Gross," Claudia said.

"And I got to feel her tetons."

"Dude, shut up," Steve said, looking expectantly towards Helena. The Victorian soon noticed all the other eyes on her so she decided it was her turn.

"Well," she began, reaching back into the memory she tried so hard to forget. "It's a bit foggy, but I believe I was thirteen. There was a boy who lived down the lane, and I swear I saw him every day walking past my home. I knew he was acquainted with Charles, but I certainly had never talked to him. But one afternoon, I remember it was drizzling a bit, he came up our steps and sat down next to me. I had been writing something. We chatted for a while before he told me how much he thought about me. When he finally kissed me, I was so mortified that I ran back inside and told my mum." Helena let out a breathy laugh, happy to relive the memory.

"Who knew," Pete said. "You, of all time-travelling science-fiction writers, were scared of boys."

"Always did prefer the fairer sex, but men certainly, are not out of the question."

Leena cleared her throat, not unkindly. "I don't know if you guys know, but this is a family business. I kind of grew up here. My dad was a warehouse agent while my mother needed a place for us to live. They built this place and it's been home to warehouse agents ever since. There was a boy who lived here with his mother, who had been an agent at the time. We always spent time together and one day he asked me, 'have you ever kissed anyone?' Then he kissed me. Just like that."

"That's insanely cool," Steve commented, setting his beer down on the table. He scooped up the dice and shook them for a moment. "Everyone went, right?"

Myka tried to seem small and unnoticeable, but Helena noticed. Helena always noticed when it came to Agent Bering. "Myka hasn't gone," she pointed out, smiling when a rosy face glared at her from across the table.

"Mykes! You've been holding out on me!"

"Yeah, Pete. I totally have this awesome love story to tell right here," Myka grumbled. "Someone kissed me at the bookstore. The end."

"Myka! You have to say who. And tell the story," Claudia pointed out. She leaned forward in anticipation.

"Fine," Myka snapped. Glancing shyly at Helena, she started, "I was fourteen. I was in the bookstore in my reading nook when someone rang the bell. I was the closest, so I went to get it. The store itself was closed, but it was still out house. We had visitors." Myka stopped and took a deep breath.

"Go on," Pete said.

"I am! Anyways, it was my friend Cris. Cris came in soaked; it had been raining, and stood in front of me for a moment. Then, without saying a word, Cris kissed me."

"What's so bad about that?" Claudia looked really confused, because she had been expecting a teenager version of Myka, most likely tripping over her own feet and somehow landing her lips on the lips of another teenager.

Myka shrugged. "Cris is short for Cristina?"

Pete burst out laughing. "Okay. This makes this game _so _much better. Claud, can I ask H.G. something?"

"Go right ahead."

"Truth or dare," Pete asked, but as Helena looked into his eyes, she felt a huge impulse to say dare. She knew she probably shouldn't have, but she did anyway. "I dare you, to suck on Myka's ear for twenty seconds.

For the first time that night, Helena felt blood rushing to her cheeks. She tried her best to even her breathing as she maintained a confident demeanor. She stood up, stalking over to Myka as if she were prey. She tried to ignore Myka's nervousness which ended up only increasing hers more.

She bent over and let out a breathy sigh before grabbing Myka's earlobe lightly between her teeth. She could feel the agent tense but relax when Helena's tongue made an appearance. She decided to play confidence. "There are many things that I'd much rather be doing to you, darling," she said, her voice lowering to a husk.

Myka's eyes were closed and she visibly shuddered at Helena's words. It was too quick when Pete yelled, "Time's up!" and Helena returned to her chair, the scent of Myka still lingering on her lips.

The game died down a bit after that, everyone getting drowsy (it was almost 4am). Before everyone went to go to bed, Pete raised his hand, indicating that he had one last question for them all.

"If you had twenty-four hours left to live, what would do in them?"

Steve smiled sadly. "I'd try to spend it with you guys, cause you are all basically my only family." His words were slurred a bit.

"Well, since my mother's a Regent," Pete said, smiling. "I'd get her here and spend my last moments here surrounded by people who don't even compare to my awesomeness."

That earned him a punch in the shoulder from Myka. Not that it was hard or anything, because, come on, she was almost drunk.

"I guess I'd be here, too. Get Joshua here, of course, but then it's all you guys." Claudia smiled all around them, and for the first time that night, Myka legitimately felt like she'd given the young woman one hell of a birthday party. Even if it was wildly inappropriate.

"I think it's great that we all think of each other when it comes down to this," Leena said. "My answer would be the same."

"I'd want to be around people I loved," Myka said, glancing at Helena for a second before gazing into the eyes of the others. She cleared her throat, before quoting a line from a book she'd read since she was a child. "Great and strange ideas transcending experience often have less effect upon men and women than smaller, more tangible considerations."

Helena recognized it immediately, bringing tears to her eyes. She reached for her locket, thumbing it again, as she had done so many times before. "I would tell the people I loved that I loved them," Helena began with a shaky voice. "I would want them to know how much they meant to me and I would try my best not to leave pain in my memory. I would try to leave happiness in the wake of my destruction."

They all agreed with one another before departing to their own rooms. Myka allowed her thoughts to stray towards Helena when she finally retired to her room. Ranging from how she'd sounded so close to her ear, to how she'd reacted to Myka quoting from _The Invisible Man._ She almost didn't hear when there was a soft knock on her door.

"Come in," she called quietly, not at all surprised when Helena poked her head in, before walking over to the bed. She sat at the foot of the bed, watching as Myka put away some reports and books.

"I like being in your presence, Myka."

She didn't quite know what to say to that. Helena could tell, too, that she wasn't going to respond.

"Whenever I'm around you, I feel… I feel normal," Helena was stumbling over her words, which lead Myka to believe that she was nervous. Helena was nervous? Damn. Helena chuckled softly, as if reading Myka's thoughts. "When you told your story, I found it amusing. Not the story, particularly, more the fact that I wanted so desperately to be the little girl who'd had the privilege to kiss Myka Bering. I want that courage that she had."

Myka was wondering if she was hallucinating. She didn't drink often. For God's sake, she hadn't even had more than a bottle of beer!

Helena licked her lips, another odd habit, Myka noticed. "But we're adults. We're grown. Kissing means, most days, a relationship, something complicated, and certainly not something that I would like to start in the early hours of the morning while we are still affected by the alcohol in our systems."

Myka stared at her.

Helena stared back wistfully. "I wish there was a way to kiss you right now, that wouldn't complicate what we have."

One moment Myka was staring, the hint of a smile playing on her lips and the next moment she was reaching for Helena, pulling her towards her and crushing their lips together ceremoniously. It was slowed down, almost languid, as Myka attempted to push her tongue into the confines of the other woman's mouth.

Helena grabbed Myka's cheeks, and pushed her back, smiling when she saw pure lust in her agent's eyes. "Darling, like I said, the alcohol… As much as I do love this, I'd love it even more so if you were sober."

Myka nodded, suddenly aware that she hadn't even said a word since the writer arrived. "I love you," she whispered, hoping that Helena would understand the full meaning behind the sentiment.

The look in Helena's eyes told Myka everything she needed to know. She pulled the raven-haired woman close to her, falling into the bed in a tangle of legs. Curling up, she sighed as Helena wrapped her arms around her, before falling into a deep sleep.

Somewhere, deep inside of Helena, a key clicked into place and suddenly she felt whole again. A feeling she hadn't felt since her Christina danced around on the street. Tears flooded her eyes as she tried desperately to blink them away. She opened her locket, though it was too dark to actually see the picture, she imagined it.

"Oh Myka," she whispered, sure that the agent was asleep. "If only you'd met my Christina."

* * *

A/N: What did you think? This will just be a one-shot, because I definitely do not have the patience to write a multi-chapter fic right now.


End file.
